The European Union is broadly reinforcing its digital core and the policy moves are clear. It committed to 56 new projects at the 4th round of the Connecting Europe Facility (CEF) Digital program. The CEF Digital program 4th call projects that were published on 21 November 2025 will be granted up to €389 million in EU support as an indispensable step to strengthen Europe’s digital sovereignty and to provide safe, secure, and highly efficient connectivity throughout Europe.
The Health and Digital Executive Agency (HaDEA) of the European Commission is currently working on signing the grant agreements of these projects. Pre-financing will be thus allowed, and activities will unfold in the EU Member States, associated territories, and partner countries.
Building a stronger digital backbone
A key element of this financing is the expansion of backbone networks that will have high data transfer capability whether on land or under the sea. These networks are intended to make the border-crossing data traffic easier, lessen the use of non-EU infrastructures and provide the necessary sturdiness for the quickly growing EU digital economy.
This move goes hand in hand with the overall EU digital sovereignty objective. By building sturdy EU and global fiber and cable links, authorities intend to guarantee the fastest and most dependable communication channels for the government, business, and citizens. The sheer number of people working on this project is pretty amazing: there are 220 partners from 28 countries in the selected projects, which shows that the whole of Europe is very much aligned when it comes to digital transformation priorities.
Expanding 5G along transport routes and within communities
Another big piece of the new money puzzle is getting 5G installed quickly and extensively both on transport corridors and in local communities.
Through a number of large-scale 5G pilot projects, Europe’s highways and railways will get upgraded with the latest technology in key parts of the Trans-European Transport Network (TEN-T). The pilots are intended to offer speedy, real-time, and thus safe mobility over the airways linking different countries; simultaneously, there will be a seamless interchange of data to facilitate the implementation and testing of a variety of high-tech solutions for road and railway transport-connected vehicles and real-time rail operations, for example—thus, in sum, inter alia.
Besides transport corridors, the programme is also seeking to develop ‘Smart Communities’ through the deployment of 5G networks and edge cloud infrastructure in local regions. The money will help digital transformation in healthcare, manufacturing, agriculture, tourism, port and airport logistics sectors, among other industries. By provisioning of the next generation of the Internet at the local level, the EU plans not only to improve public services but also to drive innovation in small towns and rural areas.
Advancing quantum-safe communication across Europe
Most of the additional funding has been earmarked for Europe to enhance its cybersecurity of the future through the extension of the European Quantum Communication Infrastructure (EuroQCI).
The first-phase EuroQCI projects will lay the groundwork for borderless secure communication by linking fibre-optic connections between the national quantum communication networks of member states. Besides that, they will get ready satellite ground stations that will be the main points for linking the earthbound networks with the EU’s upcoming IRIS² satellite constellation. The idea behind this network is to create communication channels resistant to the quantum computing era that could be used for eavesdropping on sensitive data.
Long-term investment through the CEF-digital programme
The CEF-Digital program is one of the pieces in the Connecting Europe Facility jigsaw that also supports transport and energy networks. It has a total budget of €1.5 billion for the 2021–2027 period. The co-financing rates for this last call vary from 30% to 75%, depending on the project’s extent and strategic value.
The European Commission made its formal decision about the new projects on 3 November 2025. With HaDEA now on the task of preparing grant agreements, the coming weeks will see the onset of implementation, thus marking the subsequent phase of Europe’s long-haul strategy to secure dependable and future-proof digital infrastructure.
As a whole, the 56 undertakings send a strong signal from the EU about its priority of being at the forefront of secure connectivity, next-generation communication technologies, and digital innovation, thereby enhancing Europe’s position in the global digital landscape which is increasingly competitive.
